Help Needed with Comment Moderation -- Beginner

by BeckM2

Posted: 14 years ago 20 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hi,
I have a blog and I wrote a post yesterday about online backup.

Today I received two comments. Both were good and contributed to the discussion but:

1. the first comment is a good comment but has a link to a review of an online backup company that DOES address one of the issues I made in my post.

2.the second is also a good comment, but offers the reader a discount coupon for an online backup service So I'm pretty sure this is an affiliate link.

What is the best way to handle these comments? I want to build comments on my blog, but I also don't want to have people commenting just to link out.

Is it appropriate to approve the comments but just edit out the links? Do I need to tell the people who left these comments that I am going to do this?

Or should I just post somewhere that I have a no-link policy?

What is the best way to handle this?

Thanks in advance.

#beginner #comment #moderation #needed

KristiDaniels 14 years ago

You have to be running a blog platform that allows testing to find the answer to that question.

You can kludge up a Wordpress blog to do that with plug-ins. Just do a split test between each type of comment you are curious about tested against not showing that comment.
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- BeckM2 14 years ago
  
  I'm running wordpress and the filters do not consider theses posts spam. That being said, I think the bottom post is an affiliate link.
  
  What I'm trying to figure out is how does everyone handle these posts?
  
  Thanks
  
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  Short Hills Design, LLC
  Internet Marketing for Dentists and Physicians
  
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KristiDaniels 14 years ago

I test to see if they are helping my bottom line or hurting it.

In my case, affiliate link posts help my bottom line.

But you have to test for your audience and your market.
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- BeckM2 14 years ago
  
  How do affiliate link comments help your bottom line -- I thought they only help the commenter's bottom line?
  
  Thanks
  
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  Short Hills Design, LLC
  Internet Marketing for Dentists and Physicians
  
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Mission0ps 14 years ago

I'd leave it for a while and see if the person that commented on your post tries it again. As you said they both offered valuable comments.. If you want to be ruthless you could just remove the link !
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I suppose you could call it the honest john of review sites!
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- BeckM2 14 years ago
  
  Right -- ruthless -- it it bad to remove links? is it poor form.
  
  I mean the second guy's comment is constructive, but it's totally an affiliate link.
  
  Is there a disadvantage for my site to have people affiliate linking their own stuff out in the comments they make?
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  Short Hills Design, LLC
  Internet Marketing for Dentists and Physicians
  
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  rosetrees 14 years ago
  
  This is what I do.
  
  If a comment is relevant, only includes one link, and the commenter (and or their cronies) don't come back and post multiple links, I approve it. After all, we are marketers and although I don't use blog commenting for backlinks, many do.
  
  If the link you're left goes to another blog, then leave a comment there yourself.
  
  Remember that most of your visitors won't realise those comments are for link juice and might be encouraged to leave a comment themselves after seeing that others have done so.
  
  Thanks
  
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LilBlackDress 14 years ago

Here is how I look at it.....

They took time to comment because they want to get a link. If I want to leave the post I feel it is only fair to leave the comment in as it was written (with links).

That said, unless a comment is really valuable to my site or well thought out I am not leaving in comments that leak out of my site.
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Kurt 14 years ago

IMO, if the comments add to your site, leave the links.

If the comments don't add anything to your site, delete the comments and the links.

What's wrong with giving someone a link if they are adding to your site?
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- sgboston23 14 years ago
  
  If they aren't in direct competition with me and they add value, I would leave it.
  
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KristiDaniels 14 years ago

I thought we sold stuff here.

So the question is whether a comment with an affiliate link in it helps you sell stuff or hurts your chances of selling stuff.

Well, it depends on the exact comment, the blog, the market and everything else, but you can and should test it.

Get a group of these comments with affiliate links in them.

Now split test it or multivariate test each comment against not showing it.

Did it hurt your sales or help them?

Look at it as a group since only you can decide what you think is "a good comment, but has an affiliate link." Did those comments as a group increase sales or did the control of not showing them decrease sales?

That's what we do in this business. We make offers in different ways (with comments vs without offers) and we see which way works best for making more sales.

Test it!

In my tests, what I consider to be "good comments with affiliate links" improve sales. I'll post the exact test results on my blog soon. But those are my test results.

You have to test it for your blog, what you consider to be "good comments with affiliate links" and your market.

Someone else asked how they could improve your sales. There are plusses and minuses to everything you put on your page.

Content is good. It brings in search engines. The comment with an affiliate link is more content. Score: GOOD

Engaging and allowing a very open environment for discussion brings people back to your blog over and over. Score: GOOD

Affiliate links make things look spammy and might attract other spammers and end up ruining your blog. Score: BAD

Only by testing it can you add up all of the plusses and minuses and find out for yourself whether to allow those comments or not.

Taking a survey on a forum isn't going to give you the answer.
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Christophe Young

14 years ago

Testing to figure out if blog comments are helping or hurting your bottom line?? That's a new one to me. Some people really do test everything!

I just use common sense in these situations. If a comment looks too spammy, I delete it. If they add some value and then include a related link, I'll let it stay.

Thanks
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mariochase

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Christophe Young

I agree.. I do the same. My blog back in Brazil has 2000 visits/day.. and 40 comments per day. There are people cursing or trying to promote their products.. I just delete it.

If the comment it's nice. But the guy posts a website I don't want people to access I just edit and take the site away.

Why!??

Well, it's my blog.. heheh.. I won't do free advertising to bad competition for free.

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Istvan Horvath

14 years ago

Nowhere says the OP that the blog is selling anything. It's just our assumption...

Next, I see this thread as a "part 2" of a thread started two days ago by the same OP. That one had a similar topic - only seen from the opposite side: should I or shouldn't I put a link in my comments if I go around and comment on blogs?

The general consensus was that if you have something to offer for the readers of the blog you are commenting on AND you make a meaningful, interesting contribution... then why not to include a link in your post.

Which makes me wonder...
If we go around and comment on blogs in our niche, it is OK to leave a link with a free/paid offer.
If they do it on our blog, then delete/kill/moderate.

Hmm...

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

Just in case it might help someone, here's the comment policy from one of my blogs...

Your comments are quite welcome, even if you don't agree with me. I learn a lot more from the folks that don't agree with me and don't mind explaining why. I'm all for good discussion.

The one rule I do insist on is this -- "RESPECT THIS HOUSE"

So what does that mean?

There are three main reasons you might see a comment deleted...

Offensive, derogatory or off-topic posts

This one is pretty easy.

If you post anything that is offensive or personally aimed at me or any other poster you will get deleted. Make it a habit, and you will be banned. By the way, link dropping and other purely promotional posts or comments fall under this rule.

Unsubstantiated or unfair claims

I think the best way to explain this one is with an example.

"I tried using this product, and wasn't able to get any results." Fair claim.

"This product is a ripoff and a scam and the creator is a crook." Unsubstantiated claim that will be deleted.

As with the first rule, make it a habit and you will be banned.

Issues better handled privately or one-on-one

Comments are a great way for you to share your knowledge, add your perspective, or ask for more information regarding the topics discussed in the post. Comments, however, are not well suited to dealing with individual customer support questions or complaints.

Regarding other commentors, posters, product creators, etc., I subscribe to the way Allen Says of the Warrior Forum handles things...

"If you have a problem with another Warrior, a Guru, or God, take it up with them directly. Not here. No exceptions."

These rules are subject to evolution.

Since this is my blog, I am the final judge of whether a comment adds value or not. If it adds value, it stays. If not, it will be deleted.

Feel free to "borrow" as you feel appropriate...

Thanks

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SeanSupplee 14 years ago

Pretty much everyone out there is there to sell something. The way I look at it is if its a post that provides value and not some "Great post im going to have to read you blog more often" Type comment. I will leave it. If it adds value it then adds value to my blog for my readers to read thus I keep it.
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Sean Supplee -Expert Insight of an Affiliate Marketer (Blog)
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KristiDaniels 14 years ago

The OP posted in the "Where we talk about making money" or the "Internet Marketing Main Forum" of the Warrior forum.

I think it is a fair assumption that the OP wants to make money with this blog. Making money is the result of selling things (whether your own things or things of others).

If that is not the intent of the OP, then this post is off-topic and should be moved.
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- BeckM2 14 years ago
  
  First, thank you all for your guidance. As the OP I'll say that the blog is a fun project for me, and would be great if I could monetize. I'm basically trying to make sure that I'm doing the correct basic things to set myself up to be in a good position to potentially make money. I'm not an expert like most people here, but just want to make sure I have the basics down.
  
  And to reply to the above about my post yesterday, and him seeing this thread as a "Part II", I respectfully disagree:
  
  My "yesterday" question was about what MY etiquette should be when commenting on someone's blog, and how to appropriately and politely handle linking to my own blog from these comments (as many have said folks should do to increase traffic). I'm new to IM and I would like to respect the community standards.
  
  I created the current thread because, with my blog, I received two new comments and I didn't know what the "rule of thumb" is in terms of allowing links, and I wanted to see what others do -- especially since one was a blatant affiliate link. I agree with many above who say "that if I expect them to allow me to link, then they should be allow to link too."
  
  I am just trying to test the waters for some guidelines so I can learn how to effectively moderate comments, without getting taken advantage of.
  
  Thanks
  
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  Internet Marketing for Dentists and Physicians
  
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Help Needed with Comment Moderation -- Beginner

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